Madden NFL 11 Full Game - New Thoughts

I just got the new Madden earlier today, and I have to say that I really like it. Having played the demo and gotten used to the control changes from last years version has definitely helped. Also, playing as the Broncos makes it a lot better.

First off, does anybody know if there's a roster update out yet? My internet was down when I was playing, so I couldn't check, but last year they had an update ready before the release, and there are plenty of changes around the league that have happened that didn't make it onto the disc for one reason or another.

My thoughts after the jump.....

Appearance - As I noted in my previous post, the graphics are better and players look more realistic. But once I started playing as the Broncos, where I know what a lot of the players look like, it started getting scary. The face of the virtual Ronald Fields looked just like him in real life, and different players looked more or less like their real-life counterparts. What surprised me was Tim Tebow. For one game, I put him as starter, and I swear, it looked EXACTLY like Tebow in real life (minus the Friar Tuck look), which surprised me a bit since he's a rookie.

The stadium looked a bit more realistic, especially the crowd, where it wasn't just generic people wearing generic team colored clothes (when you're on the field playing). There were still people like that in the crowd, but you could see people wearing jerseys, and you could tell what player's jersey they were wearing. There were Tebow fans a-plenty (even with Orton starting), along with a good helping Champ Bailey jerseys.

The one thing about the appearance of things that still bugs me is Josh McDaniels. They neglected to make him actually look like McD again, although last year it was understandable. But still, in the game he doesn't bear much of a resemblance to McDaniels in real life, looking older and with different facial features, plus in the game he was taller than Orton, I'm guessing in the 6' 6" range, where as in real life there is no way he's even six feet tall.

Gameplay - As much as I disliked some of the changes at first when I played the demo, I've gotten used to them and have no problem with them (for the most part). The only thing I still don't get is switching pre-play controls to the "Strategey Pad," which doesn't seem to serve any purpose except for messing up people who were used to the old way of making coverage audibles, line adjustments, etc. But you get used to it. The removal of the sprint button seems to be going well, as the range of speed with different players is more noticeable now with some of the other changes that were made. Once you get used to the new kicking controls (which doesn't take to long), it can actually be a bit easier than it used to be, since the variable of moving the right stick the wrong way on accident when pushing forwards has been removed.

I'm actually warming up to GameFlow, since there's a bit more variety to the play calling (though you start to tell which plays the computer chooses for you more often), which can really help on defense. If you don't like how the computer called a draw on third and long, then just audible. If you prefer calling your own plays, it's easy to switch to the normal play calling system. I don't know about online gameplanning against your opponent since my internet was down, but the regular situational gameplanning is relatively simple since you pretty much rate how different plays based on certain situations, so you can possibly avoid those unwanted run calls in long yardage situations.

The game is definitely geared towards the offense. I've found it much easier to run the ball now, I think they've made blockers do their job better. Also, it almost seems impossible to get an interception, with most defenders being pretty good at dropping the ball. In the three games I've played, there's only been one interception, and a whole lot of missed opportunities. If you can get pressure though, you should be able to have some degree of success on defense.

BRONCOS!!!!!!!! - Let me start by saying this: Justin Bannan is freaking amazing! He racked up 5 sacks for me against the Raiders, and in all of my games he was bringing constant pressure. Elvis Dumervil brought plenty of pressure when he rushed the passer, but I haven't gotten a sack with him yet. He seems good at wreaking havoc in general in the game, as he would tackle just about anybody within reach, whether it was behind the line of scrimmage or in open field. He was also solid in coverage, breaking up a few passes when nobody else was around. Brian Dawkins came up with the only interception I've seen in the game to date, and made some good tackles. D.J. Williams could stop anybody in their tracks, but couldn't catch anything that was thrown right into his hands. I didn't see much out of Champ, but maybe that was because they didn't throw in his direction often.

On offense, Kyle Orton was very accurate and completed most of his passes. Tebow wasn't overly accurate, but was mobile and got the job done. Knowshon Moreno did well, and has definite big-play ability. The receivers all did well (if I got them the ball). Eddie Royal is quick and can be very dangerous in the open field, netting me an 82 yard touchdown reception on my first offensive play. Demaryius Thomas dropped more balls than the other receivers (but not D.J. Williams), but was also was able to plow through defenders and make big plays on his way to the end zone. Jabar Gaffney and Brandon Stokley both showed that they've got good hands. Daniel Graham is a good short yardage option that can pick up extra yardage with his sheer power once you get it to him.

Matt Prater is underrated in the game overall, but he can put some good power behind his kicks. Only one of his kickoffs (that wasn't a squib), was actually returned. The wedge has been removed from kick returns (a bit late), making returning kicks harder than before, even if you have somebody like Eddie Royal, so I'd recommend not taking the ball out of the end zone. Punt returns, on the other hand, seem slightly easier for some reason.